The Draft "Expert" - 2022 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 - https://www.theloganblackmanshow.com/post/the-draft-expert-2022-nfl-mock-draft-3-0
Once again, welcome all to the Draft "Expert's" officially official 2022 NFL Mock Draft 4.0! As the days go on, the closer and closer we get to the start of the 2022 NFL Draft! Really exciting times!
With the draft being less than two weeks away, starting up on Thursday April 28th, this draft, realistically, should be the most accurate one we've made up until this point. Or, on the other hand, it could be the worst, given how the closer we get to the draft, the more b.s. rumors start swirling around. I guess that's why they call this silly season.
That being said, I did really enjoy making this mock draft. Now, I will say this, the top seven picks are the exact same as last time. I don't know how many times that's happened to me before, I just really liked the look of it so I though, why change it? Though the top seven is the same, there are quite a few changes otherwise from the last one, manly caused by the recent trade between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints.
In this draft, there are three quarterbacks, six wide receivers, four offensive tackles, three interior offensive linemen, three defensive tackles, five edge rushers, two linebackers, four corners, and two safeties. Sorry again to the tight end position, as this is the fourth straight mock draft you haven't been represented in. Also, sorry to the running back position, as much as it pained me to do this, Breece Hall is no longer in the first round.
So, with anymore delay, I am proud to present to you the Draft "Expert's" officially official 2022 NFL Mock Draft 4.0! Enjoy!
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Pictured: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State; Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati; Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
For the second time in two years, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the number one overall pick in the draft. That being said, this draft is a little different to last years draft, in the sense that no one really knows who will get picked with the number one overall pick. The entire offseason, it has looked as if the Jaguars would draft either Alabama's Evan Neal or NC State's Ikem Ekownu, as starting left tackle Cam Robinson was entering free agency, but, in a twist of fate, Jacksonville applied the franchise tag, solidifying the left side of their offensive line for at least they one more season, not to mention they also brought in former Washington Commander guard Brandon Scherff in on a three-year deal worth $49.5 million. So, though they still could go after one of the aforementioned tackles, or guard/tackle hybrids in Ekwonu's case, it's looking more and more likely that they'll in fact move for one of the top edge rushers in this class. Though most people out there would assume the Jaguars would take Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson, as he is widely considered to be the best player in the draft, I feel like the Jags could go rouge and take Georgia's Travon Walker here with the number one overall pick. For me, this pick comes down to two very important factors. The first one being, again, as opposed to recent years, we have no idea who the number one pick in the draft is going to be, but one thing I have gathered is that people around the league are really starting to fall in love with Walker's game, more so even after the combine. The second thing is that Walker is an insane athlete, more so than Hutchinson and, arguably, even more than Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux, while also not having any questions being brought up about his desire to play the game. Though it'd be crazy if it happened, it's definitely not out of the question, and I'm starting to think things are starting to turn to Walker being the number one overall pick, especially with reports saying Walker possesses "rare traits" Jags GM Trent Baalke really likes. As we've seen how things have gone on in Jacksonville recently with all these weird free agent signings/contracts, can we really rule this pick out? I don't think so. Again, it is widely believed Walker has the highest ceiling compared to all the other edge rushers in this class, that being said, you wouldn't necessarily think that if you just solely looked at his numbers. This past season for Georgia, Walker totaled just four sacks with 32 total tackles. The main reason Walker's numbers won't stand out to you is because this was his first year starting at d-end, playing mostly interior d-line while at Georgia. That's the main thing I like about Walker though, dude can play anywhere along the defensive line, whether that be in a 3-4 defense or a 4-3. This past season at Georgia, Walker came out weight 275 lbs., slimming down from his 290 lbs. frame from the season prior. At 6'5", Walker's body can handle the weight gain, or weight loss, that some coaches will be looking for, whether they want him to play inside or outside. At whatever size, Walker shows off his insane athleticism, making a ton of plays in Georgia's insane defense. Best against the run, Walker's athletic ceiling says that he should turn into a fine pass rusher at the next level, and could develop into a very nice 3-4 outside linebacker given his athletic talents. After testing extremely well at the combine, Walker has catapulted himself into being a lock to go in the top 10 of the draft, and into the conversation for the number one overall pick, and I think the Jaguars, who again, need help in getting after the passer and stopping the run, Walker could be the perfect player for their defense. If coached right, Walker could become one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, giving the Jaguars a legit threat on the defensive side of the ball. (they may have signed Arden Key, but I still think they should move for either Walker or Hutchinson with this pick)
2. Detroit Lions - Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
This will be one of the most fun picks in the entire draft. Before the season started, many people expected the Lions to hold a top three pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, one thing I'm sure most people didn't expect is how competitive the Lions would be throughout the course of the season. Though they finished 3-13-1, they were 11-6 against the spread this year and as the old adage states, good teams win, great teams cover. Even though they finished with three wins, they had some very impressive performances against some pretty solid teams. They were one score away from beating the 49ers, Ravens (would've won if not for a 66-yard field goal), Vikings (should've beat them twice), Steelers (tied), Browns, Bears, and Falcons while also dismantling the Cardinals 30-12 in Detroit. All in all, given the expectations, I don't think this season was all too bad. They have two first round picks, plus an early second round pick, an underrated offensive line (when healthy), a very good running back in D'Andre Swift, and a coach that has really galvanized the team (we'll see if he can improve this team this season), things could look up here soon. What makes this pick extremely fun is the fact that no one really knows what they're going to do, as they have needs all over the defensive side of the ball but have also been heavily linked with Liberty's Malik Willis, and rightfully so. If you've listened to the Logan Blackman Show long enough, you'd know how much we like Malik Willis. His upside is absolutely ridiculous, and given the fact that the Lions coached Willis at the Senior Bowl makes this pick even more interesting. Though I would love to stick Willis here, my head is telling me to go for someone on the defensive side of the ball, mainly an edge rusher, and with the Jaguars taking Travon Walker first overall, that opens the door for the Lions to take Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson here with the second overall pick. After Jacksonville franchise tagged left tackle Cam Robinson, most people believed the Jags would take Hutchinson first, but with it instead being Walker, that allows the Lions to take the number one guy on their board. There's no doubt Aidan Hutchinson had one of the greatest seasons coming off the edge in recent college football memory. A combination of size, speed, and power, Hutchinson bullied his way to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, finishing second behind Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. This season at Michigan, after coming off a fractured ankle last season, Hutchinson went out and broke the Michigan single season sack record, totaling 14 with three of them coming against Michigan's biggest rival Ohio State. In his final three regular season games at Michigan, Hutchinson totaled six sacks to go along with 21 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. Once he locks eyes on the opposing quarterback, there's very few players in the country that can stop him. Hutchinson's aforementioned power mixed with his will power makes him a very tough match-up for opposing offenses. If the Lions want to turn their fortunes around, they'd be smart by looking to Plymouth's Aidan Hutchinson. He may not have grown up a Lions fan, but he'll create some young fans by being a local kid playing for his local team. A match made in Heaven.
3. Houston Texans - Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
Much like we mentioned with the Lions before, even though the Texans finished the season with four wins, they exceeded everyones expectations. Before the season started, I was under the impression that the Texans would become the first 0-17 team in NFL history. That was quickly proven wrong after week one after they dismantled Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars 37-21. Even after that, we saw Houston beat the number one seed in the AFC, the Jaguars again, and basically derail the Chargers season. I know the AFC South is seen generally as the worst division in the NFL, but to think of the Jaguars finishing with a .500 record while also almost sweeping the aforementioned Titans was seen as crazy, at least to me, before the season started, especially given everything that was going on off the field for the Texans. So, with this pick I think the Texans will try to do something to improve their defense, especially after hiring former Bears head coach and former d-coordinator Lovie Smith as their new head coach. I know their may be some people out there that say the Texans hold draft a quarterback given Deshaun Watson's current predicament, but Davis Mills showed out this past season, arguably being the second best rookie quarterback this past season behind Mac Jones. Given how raw he was coming in, I think they did some good stuff with Mills and think he could be the answer for Houston going forward. One thing the Texans could do is look for someone to keep either Mills upright for the foreseeable future. Though they have former first rounder Tytus Howard on the roster, who was drafted as a tackle, Howard has spent most of his time in Houston as a rotational piece, playing mostly guard this past season. Whether Howard plays at guard or tackle next season, the Texans could still use some help across the offensive line, especially after allowing 44 sacks this past season. So, with this pick, I'm going to send NC State guard/tackle hybrid Ikem Ekownu to Houston with the third overall pick. Now, though I have Ekwonu going third, I think there is a very real chance he winds up at number one, with the gap between him and Alabama's Evan Neal pretty much being non-existent. Ekwonu is one of, if not the meanest lineman in this draft class. Nicknamed the "Pancake King," Ekwonu drives his opponents back with relative ease and absolutely dominates edge rushers and linebackers in the run game, which is something the Giants would like a lot given their best player is their running back. Though he's probably more dominant in the run game, Ekwonu doesn't let anything get past him in the pass game either, allowing only 13 pressures all season and has led the nation in big time blocks, according to PFF. Though Ekwonu may not have the prototypical size for a franchise left tackle (6'4" 320 lbs.), I have no real doubts that he'll be a beast at the next level. Like we said before, Ekwonu is stout in the run game. With the Texans ranking dead last in rush yards per game, yards per carry, and touchdowns, Ekwonu would massively improve the Texans rushing attack and open holes for whoever Houston's running backs are this season. I think there's a really good chance Houston goes with a defender with this pick, especially with Hamilton and Thibodeaux available, I think the Texans could look to add to the offensive line. Ekwonu would help the Texans improve in pass protection and in the run game, a win win for the Texans.
4. New York Jets - Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
The Jets are going to be one of the teams to watch in the 2022 NFL Draft. With two picks in the top 10, the Jets could really improve some problem areas of their team, whether they keep the said picks or trade out of them to acquire more picks to improve their roster even more. One of two New Jersey based teams with multiple top 10 picks, though they have some needs along the offensive line, I think head coach Robert Saleh will want to add some difference makers on the defensive side of the ball. Coming from San Francisco, where they built their team around a solid defensive line. During Saleh's time as San Francisco's defensive coordinator, the Niners drafted a defensive lineman with three of their first round picks, selecting Javon Kinlaw (2020), Nick Bosa (2019), and Solomon Thomas (2017), while also selecting DeForest Buckner (2016) and Arik Armstead (2015) the two drafts prior to Saleh coming in. Riding the coat tails of their defensive line, the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2019, with Saleh as the DC, and the NFC Championship game this past season. Though they lost, the strength of the Niners defense has come from their defensive line, and I'm sure Saleh would love to establish something similar as the Jets head coach. Both Saleh and GM Joe Douglas have spoken highly of this edge rushing class. Though they've said there's value to be had later and that there's no Nick Bosa or Chase Young in this class, I find it hard to imagine Saleh wanting to pass up someone like Kayvon Thibodeaux with this pick, especially given his history in San Francisco. Now, according to some reports, some are expecting Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux to be one of the surprise "fallers" during the 2022 NFL Draft. The main thing in question for Thibodeaux is his work ethic. In a recent quote from ESPN draft "expert" Todd McShay, he stated that, “I heard a lot about Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, including concerns that he just doesn’t play with the same fire as some other top prospects. His ceiling is high, but the floor is lower than what you want for a top-five pick. And based on a handful of conversations, it wouldn’t shock me if Thibodeaux fell out of the top five. Speaking of which, it was very apparent this week that the top of the draft isn’t nearly as set as it normally is at this point. Picks at the top of the first round might be a little more based on team flavor than recent years.” Now, though all that may be true, I feel the same things have been said about other Oregon prospects such as Justin Herbert and Penei Sewell, and they've turned out quite alright at the next level. Of course, we are still very early in the Draft process so this could be complete bull shite by the time April 28th roles around. That being said, one thing I like about Thibodeaux is the fact that he can play across multiple fronts on the defensive side of the ball. While at Oregon, we saw Thibs play as a stand-up outside linebacker while also playing as a hand in the dirt 4-3 defensive end. So whatever defense the Giants end up rolling with, Thibodeuax should be able to slot right in. I think, if he's available, Thibodeaux is a no brainer. Dude is an insane athlete coming off the edge. After coming off an ankle injury early in the season, Thibodeaux came back and flashed his athletic prowess, registering a season high nine total tackles against UCLA (eight solo) with two sacks and a forced fumble. Throughout the rest of the season, Thibodeaux finished with seven sacks (half as much as Aidan Hutchinson) and two forced fumbles. He also registered the second-best pressure rate in the country (17.8%), per ESPN. Thibodeaux can really do in all for your defense, mixing a nice combo of athleticism and power to not only get after the passer but also make key plays in the run game. In a recent quote, Robert Saleh stated that, “there was a minute there where we were giving up 40 points a game, 30, 40 points. If you’re having to play a shootout, that’s a lot of pressure on a quarterback. I don’t care which quarterback you are, to wake up on Sunday morning knowing that you’re about to go into a shootout and you have to keep pace because you can’t get enough stops." This draft could be seen as a draft to help Zach Wilson, so most people will gravitate towards the offensive line or wide receivers, but as Saleh said, the Jets can't stop anybody, giving up the most yards and points per game this past season, not to mention they only generated 33 sacks as well. Adding Thibodeaux to their defensive line will massively improve the Jets as a whole and would instantly take some of the pressure off Zach Wilson.
5. New York Giants - Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
Ever since he was drafted sixth overall in 2019, there have been some people out there saying that the G-Men should move on from Daniel Jones, I think the hiring of former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll says that the Giants will try and develop Daniel Jones into a franchise quarterback. To me, Jones has all the tools to become a nice quarterback in the NFL, we just need to see if he can put it all together. Now, if this is the route the Giants end up going, the first thing they need to do is address the offensive line. Ever since Daniel Jones has been in the league, the Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines in the entire NFL. Hell, I'll say it again, the Giants offensive line is one of the worst units in the league, and may actually hold top spot for that category, depending on who you ask. Though they did try and fix it by drafting Andrew Thomas (4) and Matt Peart (99) in 2020 and trading for Billy Price, but nothing has seemed to work. Not to mention Price, Nate Solder, and Will Hernandez are all impending free agents this offseason, with Solder Turing 34 in April. The Giants have to address the offensive line with at least one of their first round picks and to me, with Aidan Hutchinson going first overall, that should give the Giants a great opportunity to draft a tackle that they had no business of drafting prior. So, with this pick, the Giants spring to the podium and select Alabama's Evan Neal. Like I just said, there is no reason Evan Neal should be available for the Giants here at number five, but again, with the Jaguars franchise tagging Cam Robinson, that opens the door for the Jags to take Hutchinson at number one, which in turn, will cause both Ekwonu and Neal to drop a little more than they should, as they are both elite prospects for the position. That being said, the Giants sure as hell won't be complaining. Neal has everything you're looking for in a franchise tackle. The thing that makes Neal special is his rare combination of size, athleticism, and versatility. While at Alabama, Neal has played all across the offensive line. Lining up at left guard, right tackle, and then, finally, left tackle this season. For being as big as he is, 6'7" 337 lbs., you have to be an insane athlete to be able to move and play every line position at a high level, and Neal is just that. Whether you play Neal at guard or tackle he'll make his presence known. He's an athletic freak on the offensive line that'll help keep Daniel Jones upright while also opening up more run lanes for Saquon Barkley, or whoever their running back is if the former second overall pick is in fact traded. If Neal falls to the Giants, again, they will sprint to the podium to stop the slide, giving the Giants a potential franchise saving tackle here at number five.
6. Carolina Panthers - Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt
The Carolina Panthers have a couple of glaring needs on their roster, both coming on the offensive side of the ball in the former of the offensive line and the quarterback position. Last offseason, the Panthers thought they may have solved their quarterback dilemma by trading for former third overall pick Sam Darnold from the New York Jets. Though he started off fine, once leading the league in rushing touchdowns, he was found out shortly after and eventually benched/rotated with former Panthers and Patriots quarterback Cam Newton. As the season went on, the more Matt Rhule toyed with the quarterback position, with both Cam Newton and Sam Darnold throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, and each completing sub 60% of their passes. Just not good enough, and with Panthers owner David Tepper saying, "unless you have that guy that for sure gets you to playoffs and Super Bowls, you have to keep reevaluating that because that’s the only thing that matters is Super Bowls. And until you have that guy, you’re evaluating, evaluating, evaluating every year," I think it'd be wise for the Panthers to look in another direction. That being said, the Panthers stupidly accepted Sam Darnold's fifth year option before he came to Carolina, so I think trading for a quarterback or signing one in free agency is out of the question, at least for now. So, I think the Panthers turn their attention to the NFL Draft, and specifically a quarterback that Matt Rhule knows fairly well, in the form of Pitt's Kenny Pickett. For those of you who are unaware, Rhule recruited Pickett, and go him to commit, while he was the coach at Temple. That being said, Rhule took the Baylor job shortly after, which saw Pickett wind up at Pittsburgh. To me, this is kind of like the Kliff Kingsbury - Kyler Murray situation. Not so much that Pickett is like/as good as Murray, but the situation itself. The head coach knows the quarterback in question well, and though they may have more needs on the roster, i.e. offensive line, the connection between Pickett and Rhule should see the former Pitt Panther wind up in Carolina. Remember, it's not always about what you know, but rather, who you know. Now, though the connection is apart of it, Pickett is, as of right now, seen as the number one quarterback in this class. After putting up monster numbers in his fifth and final season at Pitt, Pickett has shot up the draft boards, much like a certain Bengals quarterback who is now playing in the Super Bowl. During his aforementioned last season, Pickett threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns, which ranked fifth and third in the nation respectfully. Prior to this season, Pickett had never thrown for more than 3,100 yards and if you combined every touchdown he threw in his career prior to this season, it's less than what he did this time around. Through his first four seasons, combined, Pickett threw 39 touchdowns which, for those who can't do math good or just don't know numbers, is three less than what he threw in one season, which is pretty ridiculous. Not only are the numbers themselves impressive, they're also record breakers. In the game against Syracuse back on November 27th, Pickett broke Dan Marino's 40-year-old record for passing touchdowns in a season, setting the new record at 40 before breaking another Marino record, this time for Pitt's all time leader in passing touchdowns, throwing two against Wake Forest to bring his grand total to 80, passing Marino by a singular touchdown. Also in that game against Wake Forest, Pickett led the Panthers to their first ever ACC title and first conference title in general since 2010 while also securing a plane ticket to New York City, becoming Pitt's first Heisman finalist since Larry Fitzgerald in 2003, where he finished second to Oklahoma's Jason White. Like I said before, I'm not saying it's a slam dunk guarentee that Pickett ends up in Carolina, but don't be surprised if it does happen. Though he has tiny hands, this could be a match made in football heaven. (important to note that owner David Tepper is from Pittsburgh and is a grad from there as well, too many connections for this not to happen imo)
7. New York Giants (via Chicago) - Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
We have now reached the second of the Giants two top 10 selections. With their first pick, we saw the Giants address the offensive line by getting Alabama's Evan Neal, which was by far the biggest need on the G-Men's roster for this upcoming season. Now, with their second pick, they could go in a couple of different directions. That being said, those directions are all on the defensive side of things. I think the first thing many will point out is the Giants need for some more help in getting after the quarterback, as the Giants ranked in the bottom half of the league in total sacks, registering 34, with last years second round pick, Azeez Ojulari leading the way with eight. After Ojulari though, the Giants next pure edge rusher with the most sacks was Quincy Roche, who only registered two and a half last season. Others like Leonard Williams, Lorenzo Carter, Austin Johnson, and Dexter Lawrence ranked above Roche, but Carter left for Atlanta in free agency and Williams, Johnson, and Lawrence all play on the d-line. All that being said, yes, the Giants should look for an edge rusher in this draft, but it doesn't necessarily have to be here. This class, as per usual these days, is littered with very good edge rushers. Hell, the aforementioned Azeez Ojulari wasn't taken until the 50th pick in 2021, and with the Giants holding the 37th pick in the second round of this draft, that could be the perfect spot to select a very talented edge rusher. To me, instead of going after a pass rusher, they should look to add a pure lock down corner, especially now, given how James Bradberry has been linked with a move away from New Jersey this entire offseason. With Bradberry's future in question, and reports going around stating that your stadium partners love this guy, I think the Giants should look to add Cincinnati's Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner here with the seventh overall pick. A big bodied corner, standing at 6'3" and weighing 200 lbs., Gardner combines insane ball skills with great physicality and length that makes him a match-up nightmare for opposing offenses. In his three years at Cincinnati, Gardner posted 99 tackles, 16 passes defended and nine interceptions. Gardner had more pick-sixes (two) than receiving touchdowns allowed (zero) and allowed just 712 total receiving yards on 138 career targets. In 2021, Gardner became the first Cincinnati player in history to be honored as a consensus All-American. This season, Gardner allowed just .1 yards per coverage snap, that is absolutely ridiculous. If the Giants want to get to the top of the NFC East again they've got to improve their defense, and adding a pure lock down corner like Gardner would be a very good place to start. If the Giants left the first round with a potential franchise saving left tackle and a lock down corner, Giants fans should be throwing a party in the streets, cause this would be an awesome scenario.
8. Atlanta Falcons - Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
The Atlanta Falcons could go a few directions with this pick. Firstly, they could try and fix some of the problem areas on the offensive side of the ball, namely getting a wide receiver to replace the suspended Calvin Ridley and the Tampa bound Russell Gage, possibly getting some more help for the offensive line, and, probably least importantly at this point at time, especially now, given the top guys are already off the board, but getting a quarterback for the future to replace franchise legend and Indianapolis bound Matt Ryan. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the Falcons may have one of the weakest rosters in the NFL, again, I'm saying this in the nicest way. Again, with this pick, the Falcons could literally go any direction. Though wide receiver currently seems to be the betting favorite for the Falcons here at eight, I'm going to throw a little curveball and say the Falcons move for Atlanta native Malik Willis. I think it's important to remember two things when it comes to the Falcons, the first thing is that if the 49ers took Mac Jones, as most people thought they would, at third overall in the '21 NFL Draft, I think there was good shot at Atlanta moving for Trey Lance. A player like Lance would be perfect for Arthur Smith's offense, given his obvious talent and athletic ability, but instead, the ATL opted for Pitts. The second thing to note here is that Terry Fontenot has been pretty vocal the past couple years about looking at "all possible scenarios" for a quarterback. Recently, Fontenot came out and said he wants to look for the next Matt Ryan, which some people are taking as a traditional pocket passer, but I'm going to take that as someone who is a great leader and will serve the city of Atlanta well. I think that could be Willis. Like we said before, the Falcons traded long time quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third round selection in this draft. As of right now, the instant replacement for Ryan is one of Arthur Smith's former players, in the form of former Heisman winner and former second overall pick, Marcus Mariota. Though I like Marcus Mariota and am happy to see that he's getting another shot as a starter in the NFL, he's not the long term answer for the Falcons. It's obvious the Falcons are not going to be competing for anything this season, but they should at least draft someone that could help them compete in a few years, and I think Willis could be that guy. Out of all the quarterbacks in this draft class, no one has a ceiling that is higher than that of Malik Willis. At 6'1" 225 lbs., Willis is an absolute tank running the ball and is by far the most mobile quarterback in this class while also possessing the classes strongest arm. While at Liberty, Willis flashed his God given abilities, but also showed that he's still very raw. This season, statistically, Willis threw for 2,626 yards with 24 touchdowns but with 12 interceptions. He also totaled 820 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground on 189 carries. Though he may not have elite size, he possesses elite tools that could take him far at the next level. The fact of the matter is Willis is better than what his stats show. If you're looking for a quarterback with elite arm talent, elite athleticism, and elite leadership qualities with a will to win, Willis is your guy. At the combine, reports were saying that most scouts and coaches thought Willis needed one to two years to develop. With Mitchell Trubisky in as the starter, Willis can develop behind him before taking over in a year or two, depending on how ready he is. Much like Josh Allen in 2018, Willis is an insanely talented quarterback with a ceiling that rivals that of the Willis Tower, he just needs time to develop. If he is afforded that time, Willis could be an absolute beast at the next level. I think Willis' upside will make him a very hard quarterback to pass up in the '22 NFL Draft and with Atlanta in need of a quarterback for the future, and a face of the franchise, Willis could be their guy. Again, if they develop him right, they could have a very special player on their hands. (I think Mariota would be perfect for Willis' development)
9. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver) - Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
A new era is upon us in the Emerald City, as long time quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to Denver for a whole pack of picks, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and d-linemen Shelby Harris. Even after the Russell Wilson trade, Seattle could still be involved in even more offseason moves with them linked with Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and with both wide receivers, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, seemingly on the trade block as well. This season will be a weird one to watch if all these moves end up happening. When we made our last mock draft, we had the Seahawks taking Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross to replace the free agent Duane Brown. Though that would seen as a smart choice by most, given how the Seahawks have treated their offensive line over the past few seasons, I think they will probably ignore that need and go for something on the defensive side of the ball. Now, though I think left tackle is the biggest need for the Seahawks going into this draft, it's definitely not the only need. Outside of tackle, the next biggest need, to me, is getting some help in the secondary. Last offseason, the Seahawks lost Shaquill Griffin to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving a pretty big hole in the secondary. With Griffin gone, the Seahawks went on to rank second from bottom in passing defense, giving up 265.5 yards per game through the air, while allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete around 68% of their passes against them. So again, though tackle is a massive need, the Seahawks will probably look to add one of the top corners in the draft. With Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner going off the board to the Giants at seven, the Seahawks should look to take former LSU Tiger Derek Stingley here with the ninth pick. If we're talking upside, I don't know if there's a lot of defenders that have a higher upside than former LSU corner Derek Stingley. Now, though I think Stingley may have the highest upside out of the top corners in the draft, there are some areas of concern that could be brought up here. The main concern for Stingley is that he hasn't really played a whole lot since his insane freshman season. Though that season was ridiculous, a season that saw Stingley intercept the ball six times and defend 15 passes en-route to a National Championship, while also seeing Stingley named a Conscious All-American and First Team All-SEC recipient (an honor he got in 2020 as well). Like we said before though, that was two years ago. Since then, Stingley has played, playing just three games in 2021 and seven times in 2020. From what it sounds like, scouts and coaches are questioning Stingley's willingness to play, especially after he opted out this past season due to an ankle injury. There's no questioning Stingley's natural abilities, it's just a matter of if he can stick it out for a full season that has some out there worried. At 6'1" 195 lbs., Stingley possesses ideal size, speed, and ball skills to be a truly elite corner at the next level. If everything pans out like it should, the Seahawks will have gotten themselves an absolute steal at number nine. If Stingley can stay healthy and apply himself for a full season, he may become one of the best corners in the NFL. During their heyday, the Seahawks prided themselves on having an elite secondary. Last season, they were far from it, but adding someone like Stingley would be an excellent step in that direction. Again, if everything pans out, the Seahawks getting Stingley at nine will look like an absolute steal. Hopefully he can just stay healthy.
10. New York Jets (via Seattle) - Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
Like we stated before, the Jets are one of two New Jersey based teams with two top 10 picks, using their first one on Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux. Now, if you've been following the Jets offseason to this point, and it's ok, I don't blame you if you haven't, but there have been two things they've tried to do, but have failed at up until this point. Those two things are add an edge rusher and add a wide receiver, as they were in for both Chandler Jones, who's now in Vegas, and Tyreek Hill, who got traded to the division rival Dolphins. Now, I could be reading in to this too much, but I think those attempted moves may be pre-cursers to the upcoming draft. So, after adding Thibodeaux with their first pick, I think the Jets will look to add the best receiver available with their second pick. With all the top receivers still on the board, the Jets will have their pick of the litter. To me, until we know how Jameson Williams' knee heals, the best receiver in the draft is Ohio State's Garrett Wilson, who I think should be the pick here for the Jets at 10th overall. Though he may not be the deep threat that Jameson Williams or Chris Olave are, Wilson may be a better all around wide receiver. When you talk about the "complete" wide receivers in the country, Garrett Wilson should be at the top of your list, arguably. He may not be the fastest wide out in this class (he is very fast, just not the fastest), but his versatility really sets him apart when comparing him to the other wide receivers in this class. Before this season, Wilson had done most of his work from the slot, averaging just under 17 yards per catch (16.8) and totaling 723 yards on the season. This year, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba taking the most of the reps form the slot, Wilson has been a real threat from the outside, recently surpassing 1,000 yards on the season with 12 touchdowns, averaging 15.1 yards per reception. In Ohio State's insane three headed monster out wide, Wilson is the dawg, the main man in the wide receiver room at Ohio State. Wherever you line him up, Wilson will make a play, kind of like Justin Jefferson at LSU, where he excelled in the slot but worked wonders out wider as well. I think Wilson would be a great addition to the Falcons wide receiver core. I'm sure Wilson would love to have someone like Garrett Wilson on the outside, as he will make everyones life so much easier. Again, I could be reading too much into the Jets attempted offseason moves, but either way, coming out of the first round with an insane athlete in Kayvon Thibodeaux and a great all around weapons in Garrett Wilson would be great for the Jets moving forward. For their sake, they hopefully solved one of the problem areas on defense and got their young quarterback a true number one option. I like this draft for the two New Jersey based teams.
11. Washington Commanders - Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
This could really be the shock of the entire draft. I think most people out there believe that Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton is a top five player in the draft, like to me, Hamilton is the second best player in this draft behind Hutchinson. The sad reality for Hamilton is that the NFL teams do not tend to take safeties with "valuable picks," basically meaning picks in the top 10, let alone the top five. Like, the last safety taken in the top five of a draft was Sean Taylor back in 2004, when he was taken fifth by the then Washington Redskins. Though Taylor looked to be on course for a Hall of Fame career, he could be seen as more of an outlier than anything, as though he was insanely talented, he isn't enough to change the perception around safeties in the draft. For example, in the past two drafts, the first safeties weren't taken until the second round, with Jevon Holland (2021) and Xavier McKinney (2020) both being the first safeties taken in their respective drafts, both at pick 36. Even insanely talented safeties like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Derwin James, who Hamilton is compared to, fell in that double digit range, with Fitzpatrick going 11th to Miami and Derwin James lasting until pick 17, and those are two of the top safeties in the NFL, as both have made All Pro teams during their young careers. Again, I think Hamilton is a top five player in the draft, easily, but he may suffer the same fate as Fitzpatrick and James just given how the NFL values safeties in the draft, same goes for centers. All that being said, I'm sure Washington won't complain, especially after releasing Landon Collins in mid-March. The thing is with Hamilton is that you're not getting a typical safety, you are getting a football player. Hamilton combines the size of a linebacker, with the speed of a receiver, and the coverage skills of a corner into one player. Whether you want him playing as a center fielder, up against the line of scrimmage, or even outwide covering a wide receiver, Hamilton will always get the job done. The thing I like the most about Hamilton is his range. His ability to cover insane amounts of ground in a short amount of time makes him a very fun player to watch on the defensive side of the ball. Throughout his Notre Dame career, Hamilton made eight interceptions and 138 total tackles. This past season Hamilton missed a portion of the season due to a knee injury he sustained during a game against USC back in October, but still managed to get three interceptions, with two very impressive ones coming in week one vs Florida State. To me, Hamilton the type player that would instantly improve the Commanders secondary, giving them a Swiss Army knife that would be able to rip apart opposing offenses. Remember, Hamilton is not a safety, he's a football player.
12. Minnesota Vikings - Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
As per usual, this past season for the Vikings was met with pretty decent preseason expectations, only to be met by another disappointing 8-9 season, which saw them miss the Playoffs for the second consecutive season. On paper, the Vikings really do have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Say what you want about Kirk Cousins, but he is no where near the biggest problem for the Minnesota Vikings. For the past couple seasons, two things have really let the team down, those being the offensive line and the defense as a whole. During last years draft, the Vikings used two picks in the first three rounds to address the offensive line. After trading back in round one, the Vikings selected Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw with the 23rd pick, who made 10 starts during his rookie season. Then in the third round, the Vikings took Ohio State's Wyatt Davis, who was coming off a knee injury that he sustained in the National Championship game against Alabama. Though Davis only appeared in six games last season, with no starts, the Vikings o-line was improved from the season prior, which isn't saying a whole lot, but it was improved. Defensively is where the Vikings really have struggled the past two season. Though a lot of it can come down to injuries of key players, with a defensive minded head coach, they shouldn't be as bad as what they were, especially in the pass defense. Last season, the Vikings ranked in the bottom three in total defense and bottom five in pass defense, with their secondary coming under scrutiny for most of the season. Though they resigned Patrick Peterson to a one-year deal, the former Cardinal turns 32 in July and isn't getting any younger. Opposite of him, Cameron Dantzler, has really failed to impress so far during his young NFL career, with him getting toasted a fair few times this past season. Though edge rusher could be an option, I think corner should still be priority number one for the Vikings. So, with that being said, I think the Vikings should move for Washington's Trent McDuffie here with the 12th pick. For what he lacks in "elite size" (only 5'11" 195 lbs.) he makes up for with insane athleticism and excellent timing and ball skills. Though he's not the biggest, according to PFF, McDuffie is one of the top corners when it comes to red zone defense, just behind his Washington teammate Kyler Gordon in regards to red zone grade. He also has allowed just 44.4% passes thrown his way to be completed this season, which is the lowest among Pac-12 corners, per PFF. Throughout his Washington career, McDuffie totaled 94 tackles (only 14 in 2020 due to COVID), eight passes defended, one sack, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Again, though he may not be the biggest or most physically imposing corners in this draft, McDuffie may be the most athletic and, possibly, the best tackler out of all the corners in this draft. As we said before, the Vikings ranked in the bottom five in pass defense last year, adding someone like McDuffie would be a great step in the right direction in regards to improving that area while also adding some youth to their secondary. If the Vikings want to get back to the Playoffs and stop underachieving, they should definitely look to add someone like McDuffie in the first round.
13. Houston Texans (via Cleveland) - Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
In one of the most shocking moves of the offseason, the Houston Texans traded star quarterback Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns for a kings ransom. Now, it's not necessarily surprising the Texans traded Watson, just more so on where he went. When all signs pointed to him going to the NFC South, whether that was Atlanta, Carolina, or New Orleans, he decided to wave his no trade clause for the dawg pound. It feels like it wasn't too long ago that Houston had no draft picks, now their lined up with multiple first round picks until the 2024 Draft, which is perfect for a team that is rebuilding. Though Watson is gone, I think the Texans have something in second year quarterback Davis Mills. People may forget Mills had only played 14 games since high school, he's extremely raw but showed flashes of his potential when he got his chance as Houston's starter, setting the franchise record for most passing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback in franchise history, in only 11 starts, while also leading all rookies in 300+ yard passing games. So if people thought Houston would go after a quarterback with their first two picks, I'm not saying they 1000% won't, but in my opinion, just don't count on it. So, after offensive tackle Ikem Ekownu with the third overall pick, the Texans use this pick to re-strengthen their defensive and take Florida State's Jermaine Johnson. Throughout this offseason, Johnson has been one of the standout candidates. After impressing during his first and final season at Florida State (transferred from Georgia), where he totaled 12 sacks, which was good for seventh nationally, 70 total tackles, two passes defended, and two forced fumbles, Johnson showed off his nature speed and get off at the Senior Bowl. Every day during practice Johnson's name would pop up somewhere in regards to the "best players" during the week, causing some kind of mayhem every day. Much like, again, at Florida State, Johnson led the ACC in pressures in 2021, registering 46 this season. His combination of speed, burst, power, and hand movement makes him a really fun player to watch and his willingness to not only get after the quarterback, but to make huge plays in the running game, is a huge boost to his stock to go along with his dominating week. Johnson went from a potential first rounder to a potential top 10 pick. That being said, Johnson does slide a little, but the Texans certainly won't complain. The three most important positions to draft are quarterback, offensive tackle, and edge rusher. If the Texans truly believe in Davis Mills, getting the top tackle and a really talented edge rusher would be a great way to start their rebuild. Johnson would give the Texans an absolute freak coming off the edge, and they should be thankful he fell to them here at 13.
14. Baltimore Ravens - Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
The Baltimore Ravens were an odd team throughout the 2021-22 NFL season. At points, this team looked to be one of the best in the NFL, staging come from behind wins against the Chiefs and Colts while also blowing out the LA Chargers to start the season 5-1. Then, at other times, they looked lost. Finishing the season on a six game losing streak and getting dick stomped by the Bengals by a combined score of 82-38. Now, a lot of that can come down to the fact that the Ravens were without Lamar Jackson for a good portion of the year and their offensive line and running backs were being depleted more and more as the season went on. Overall, just a very weird season for the Ravens, who finished 8-9, which was their first sub .500 season since 2015, where they finished 5-11 and, coincidentally, lost to the Bengals twice. Now, to help rectify some of their issues, the Ravens should look to restrengthen their defense. This offseason, the Ravens could be losing some key pieces across their defensive line and linebacking core, with Brandon Williams, Justin Houston, Justin Ellis, and Pernell McPhee all impending free agents. Not only that, every player just mentioned is over the age of 31. Not to mention their secondary resembled something out of the movie The Replacements, giving up 278.9 yards per game through the air, by far the worst in the league. So, with all these needs on the table, it could be hard to pin point what they should address with their first pick. Though it could be hard to predict, one thing that isn't too difficult to get is that the Ravens have always gone by their draft board, meaning whoever is on top, that's who they're going to take. To me, the next best player available is Utah's Devin Lloyd. To me, Devin Lloyd is the most complete linebacker in this draft. Again, in a somewhat similar mold to that of Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, Lloyd possesses great natural size and athleticism that make him damn near impossible to stop for opposing offenses. At 6'3" 235 lbs., Lloyd has the perfect frame for being a stud linebacker at the next level. That being said, it's not all about size, and Lloyd has showed why he should be the number one linebacker with his play this season. For the PAC-12 Champions, Lloyd totaled a career high 111 tackles, with 66 of those being solo tackles. Not only that, Lloyd has showed off his prowess as a pass rusher, totaling eight sacks (which is more than Kayvon Thibodeaux), one forced fumble/fumble recovery, four interceptions, six passes defended, with two of those pics being returned for touchdowns. Again, dude has insane speed to combine with his size, which makes him such a match-up nightmare for opposing offenses. Every Utah game you tune in to, Lloyd makes his presence known. The Ravens love themselves versatile defenders, and Lloyd has that in bunches. Next to Patrick Queen and with Odafe Oweh coming off the edge, the Ravens would have one of the best young linebacking cores in the league. If everyone can stay healthy, the Ravens should be one of the most improved teams in the NFL next season. Adding a linebacker like Devin Lloyd would only make them that much better.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami) - Jordan Davis, DL, Georgia
For the next few years, the Philadelphia Eagles are sitting in a pretty good spot when it comes to draft picks. During the '21 draft, the Eagles got a nice haul from the Miami Dolphins, who traded out of the top 10 with San Francisco, before making the jump back up to six with the Eagles to take Alabama wide out Jaylen Waddle. During that same offseason, the birds somehow managed to get what eventually turned into a first rounder for Carson Wentz. So, for this draft, the Eagles were set up with three first round picks, which is very nice. Then, a week or so ago, the Eagles struck up another trade, this time with the New Orleans Saints. Giving up the 16th and 19th pick, plus a sixth rounder, for the 18th pick in this draft, a '23 first rounder, and a '24 second rounder, plus a third and a seventh in this year's draft. All in all, the Eagles have been very busy when it comes to the draft, and time will tell if these picks actually turn into anything, whether that be a trade for an established star, a big move up the draft, or just standing pat and taking who's available. When I think of Eagles GM Howie Roseman, I always think of him strengthening the trenches in Philadelphia early in the draft, especially when it comes to possibly replacing aging stars. If you look at the past few drafts for the Eagles, the Eagles have drafted Landon Dickerson, Andre Dillard, Derek Barnett, among others to come in and learn behind their established starters before taking over in a year or two. One of the aging stars on this current Eagles team is longtime defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who just signed a one-year contract, after being released a few days earlier. I think with a player like Cox on a one-year deal and on the wrong side of 30, Roseman could look to add another d-tackle to help take the load off him. To me, Georgia's Jordan Davis just feels like an Eagles first round pick. At 6'6" 340 lbs., Davis moves very well (running a 4.78 40 at the combine), and though he doesn't register a whole lot of sacks, he does take on as many blockers as possible, allowing players such as Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Nakobe Dean, and others to make plays in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. Davis was a key member of the Bulldogs insane defense, with him being the main cog in their run defense. A run defense that again, allowed just 81.7 yards per game this past season while also allowing only three touchdowns on the ground to boot. There are not a lot of people that want to block him at the college level, I feel even at the next level he'll be a threat as well. Though there are some concerns with Davis in regards to the amount of snaps he can play a game, I think his overall ability to wreck the line of scrimmage over trumps that, as he will be able to clog up rush lanes while also allowing his teammates to get after the quarterback. Adding someone like Davis would be a massive boost to the Eagles defense and could give them one of the best interior lines in the league, if Cox bounces back to form.
16. New Orleans Saints (via Philadelphia) - Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
As we said before with the Eagles pick, Saints and the birds struck a pretty big trade recently, which saw the Saints absorb one of the Eagles three first round picks while also swapping another and giving up a fair few picks in the future. To me, there are two reasons why the Saints made this move. On one hand, the Saints could be trying to build up draft capital to move up for one of the top quarterbacks, as recent reports are saying that they do have some interest in either Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis. Though that could be an option, the Saints are pretty famous at throwing out smoke screens in regards to quarterbacks, having not drafted one in the first round since 1971 when they drafted Archie Manning second overall. The more likely of the two scenarios would be the second one, which is trying to build their roster to challenge for a Playoff spot in a relatively weak conference. Looking at their roster, the Saints have two glaring needs, both on the offensive side of the ball. Those needs are at left tackle and wide receiver. Starting with tackle, the Saints lost their longtime left tackle Terron Armstead in free agency, who headed over to the Miami Dolphins this offseason. Over the past few drafts, Mickey Loomis has not been shy about addressing the offensive line, as the Saints have drafted all of their current starters on the offensive line with either first or early second round picks, with all of them getting drafted over the course of five years. I think the main strategy for the Saints with this recent trade with the Eagles is to jump the Los Angeles Chargers, who could be looking to add a starting offensive tackle themselves with their first round pick. Jumping the Chargers almost guarantees the Saints can get their man, which in this case, is former Mississippi State Bulldog Charles Cross. To me, Cross is a very polarizing prospect. On one hand, he is easily the best pass blocking lineman in the '22 draft class, playing 719 pass blocking snaps and only allowing 16 pressures. Let me repeat that, just 16 pressures allowed in 719 pass blocking snaps, that's just stupid. Not to mention that he's a great athlete for the tackle position (6'5" 310 lbs.) and has great use of hands, being able to brush off edge rush moves from opposing d-ends and linebackers. The only real "issue" I guess is that Mississippi State is a very, and I mean very, pass first team. This past season, Mississippi State, statistically, were the worst run team in college football, ranking dead last in yards (821), yards per game (63.2), and rush attempts (270). They even ranked last in longest rush attempt, with their longest run coming in at just 32 yards. Now, this isn't saying Cross can't run block, it's just saying he's not as experienced in that department as some of the other tackles in this class (think of someone like Andre Dillard, another Mike Leach o-lineman). What I think helps Cross out a lot is his potential. His size/frame and athleticism are a rare combination, and if given the right environment, he could develop into a very good tackle at the next level.
17. Los Angeles Chargers - Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
The Chargers are one of the more confusing teams in the NFL. On paper, the Chargers should be up there with the upper echelon of the NFL, instead, they finished the season with a 9-8 record and finished the regular season off losing three of their last four games, including one to the Houston Texans. Though they may have disappointed people by not making the Playoffs, the Bolts do have some very nice bright spots on their roster. Players like Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Rashawn Slater, Matt Feiler, Corey Linsley, Joey Bosa, and Derwin James are stars at their respective positions, but no player on the Chargers shines brighter than quarterback Justin Herbert. Along with Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert is soon to be one of the faces of the NFL, if he isn't there already. So, with someone like that on your roster, wouldn't it be smart to try and protect them at all costs? As you saw before, we mentioned three offensive linemen for the Chargers in Slater, Feiler, and Linsley. The thing is, all of those guys are on the left side of the offensive line. That side of the o-line for the Chargers is easily one of the best in the NFL, the problem is that their right side is one of the worst in the NFL. To the surprise of no one, starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga was placed on injured reserve back in September, a place that he's all too familiar with at this point in his career. His back-up, Storm Norton, though has a sick name, got beaten regularly by edge rushers since coming into replace the former Hawkeye. If the Chargers want to get to the Playoffs next season, they have to protect Justin Herbert, and improving the right side of the o-line should be one of the top priorities, if not the number one priority. So, with this pick, I'm going to send another Iowan to LA, but this time it's in the form of UNI Panther Trevor Penning. Now, this pick may surprise some people, given the fact that you generally don't tend to see FCS linemen get taken this high, with the highest FCS linemen ever taken being Mike Iupati, who went 17th overall in 2010 to San Francisco. That being said, Penning has the potential to be a special player. Much like Jermaine Johnson before him, Penning was one of the stars of Senior Bowl week. Dominating anyone who came at him during practice while also showing his versatility, playing both left tackle (his natural position) and right guard. A massive human, standing at 6'7" and weighing 322 lbs., Penning is very athletic and a true s.o.b. if there ever was one. Much like Ekwonu before, Penning mauls opposing defenders. His strength and athleticism mixed with his competitive nature rarely sees him get beaten around the edge. We talked about his versatility before, and though he spent most of his time at left tackle in college, Penning played both right and left tackle throughout his time at UNI, possessing some of that positional versatility that many teams are looking for nowadays, especially on the offensive line. With Chargers head coach Brandon Staley being very vocal about wanting to establish the run, they would love to have someone like Penning to block for Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson, or whoever else the Chargers are deploying at running back. Being a graduate from UNI, I am a little biased towards former Panthers, but even so, Penning is a truly special prospect and should be considered one of the top tackles in the draft. I don't care if he didn't play top level FBS football, Penning dominated everyone he went against, and will be a beast at the next level. The Chargers would instantly improve their o-line by adding Penning. (I struggled picking between Penning and Georgia d-lineman Devonte Wyatt, as he could help the Chargers fix their atrocious run defense)
18. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans) - Drake London, WR, USC
After solidifying the trenches on the defensive side of the ball, I think the Eagles should know look to strengthen their skill positions. If you look at the Eagles roster, after the d-line, to me, the Eagles biggest needs lie in the secondary and out wide at wide receiver. Starting off in the secondary, though it may not jump off the page to most people since Darius Slay is coming off a Pro Bowl season, his first with the Eagles, and Avonte Maddox just signed a three-year extension back in November. The thing is, Darius Slay just turned 31, Avonte Maddox is more of a slot corner that has only ever started 28 of the 51 games he's appeared in, and, most importantly, the let NFL vet Steven Nelson leave in free agency, freeing up that corner position opposite that of Slay. The only issue with that is that the top three guys, Gardner, Stingley, and McDuffie were all already off the board by the time the Eagles made their first selection, and I don't think any of the other corners in this draft should be taken here at pick 18. So, with corner pretty much written off, for now, I think the Eagles should add one of the top receivers in the draft. Though I think Williams will be an option here given his speed, which is something the Eagles have shown to have an affinity for, I think the birds should look to add someone like USC's Drake London here with their second first round pick. Now, is there a chance London is long gone by this pick? Yes, with teams like the Falcons, Jets, Saints, and Chargers all possibly looking for wide receivers, but that's not how this board worked out, and the Eagles are thankful. Now, after missing in 2020 with Jalen Reagor, and then drafting Heisman winner DeVonta Smith last year, the Eagles dip their hand back into the wide receiver cookie jar for the third year in a row, which is kind of crazy. Now, I can only really remember this happening once before, where a team drafted three wide receivers with three straight first round picks, and that was the Lions in the early 2000s, where they selected Charles Rodgers (2003), Roy Williams (2004), and Mike Williams (2005) back-to-back-back. Sadly for the Lions, it did not really pan out, so hopefully this one does for Philly. This past season DeVonta Smith showed flashes of his potential, though he didn't put up monster numbers or anything, 916 yards and five touchdowns is still pretty decent and led the Eagles in receiving yards. The other two top drafted wide receivers, Reagor and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, combined for 335 yards and two touchdowns. I think given London's size, athleticism, and versatility, with his ability to work from the outside or the slot, makes him an excellent target for the Eagles. London, a former basketball player, is again, an insane athlete out wide. At 6'5" 210 lbs., London out jumps every single defender that challenges him. Not only can he out jump defenders, his insane wing span sees him high point the ball with ease and has seen him make many circus catches while at USC. This past season, before his injury, London totaled 88 catches for 1,084 yards, and seven touchdowns, with only two games seeing him have less than 100 yards receiving (one of those games was the game he got hurt, and he had 81 yards before halftime). Again, London is a fantastic athlete and would give Jalen Hurts a reliable target on the outside. I think London would be a great addition to the Eagles wide receiver core and would easily replace the likes of Reagor and Arcega-Whiteside. The Eagles could really use an athlete on the outside, and London is that, making Jalen Hurt's life, again, a whole hell of a lot easier.
19. New Orleans Saints (via Philadelphia) - Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
After getting a tackle to sure up the offensive line, the next biggest need on the Saints is pretty simple, they need to get some weapons on the outside. With Michael Thomas missing all of last season due to a neck injury, the Saints receiving core was spear headed by Marquez Calloway, Deonte Harty, and Tre'Quan Smith, none of who registered over 700 yards receiving. If the Saints want to get back to the Playoffs, they needed to get a bookend left tackle to replace Terron Armstead and they need to get a receiver to partner Thomas, when he's healthy. After getting Charles Cross at 16, the Saints should take the top receiver on their board, and even though he's coming off a torn ACL, Jameson Williams would be just too good to pass up here for the Saints here at 19. Barring an ACL injury that he sustained in the National Championship game against Georgia, Williams would be going a hell of a lot sooner than 19th overall. When healthy, Williams is the best receiver in the draft. An insane deep threat that can also do a job in the run game and special teams, Williams possesses great size and instincts for how fast he is, which is kind of rare. The issue surrounding Williams going into the offseason is the fact that he is coming off of a torn ACL, which he suffered against Georgia in the National Championship back on January 10th. Now, reports said that he'd have surgery 10 days after the Naty, and doctors believe that after said surgery, Williams will retain his sub 4.3 speed, expected to make a full recovery, per Adam Schefter. It's no secret, at least to me, that Williams is the best receiver in the draft when healthy, and if he does in fact come back at full strength, he'd be an absolute steal if he does fall into this range. This past season, before his injury, Williams ranked fifth in the nation in receiving yards, 1,572, touchdowns, 15, and finished seventh in yards per reception, 19.9. Standing at 6'2" and weighing around 189 lbs., Williams can not only run past defenders, but he stands over most corners that'll be covering him, which again, is kind of rare for someone that fast. Like we said before, if he wasn't coming off a torn ACL, Williams would be the first receiver taken in the draft. His size and speed is a rare combo and could be a blessing for the Saints, who would've probably never been able to pick Williams if the former Bama wide out was 100% healthy. If/when he fully recovers, the Saints will have an absolute stud on their hands. After trading away some picks to the Eagles, I think the Saints would be very happy to come out of the first round with Charles Cross and Jameson Williams. Though both players could be off the board before the Saints two picks, if it happens to fall like this, I don't think they'll do too much complaining.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers - Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
I feel like I've said this a lot so far, but this, honestly, could be one of the surprise picks in the '22 NFL Draft. Or would it? It's no secret the Pittsburgh Steelers are in for a quarterback this offseason, as the Big Ben era has finally reached it's conclusion. Yes, the Steelers did bring in former Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on a two-year deal to be the starter, but sadly for him, he's not the answer for the black and gold long term. Throughout the entire offseason, it has been very clear that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin really likes former Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, and if last year's draft was anything to go by, who ever the Steelers say who they like early in the process, that's the guy they're going to try and get. Sadly for Pittsburgh, Malik Willis will probably not just fall into their lap like Najee Harris did last year. Baring a big trade up the draft board, Willis will probably be playing for another NFL team, at least for the start of his career. So, with Willis off the board to Atlanta with the eighth overall pick, the Steelers turn their attention to a guy that a lot of people having been saying is the most NFL ready quarterback in this class, in the form of Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder. Before the Senior Bowl, I think most people out there had Ridder as a day two guy, whether that be in the second or the third round, I don't really think there was a lot of people out there that though Ridder would be a first round pick. Fast forward to April, and Ridder, according to reports, is considered by some to not only be a first round pick, but the number one quarterback in the draft. Though he has shown to be pretty raw at times, it is pretty easy to see why Ridder has risen so fast since the Senior Bowl. For starters, he was a four year starter at Cincinnati, and though they played in the AAC, therefor not playing the toughest of competition, it was clear to see that Cincinnati's improvement as a team coincided with Ridder's improvement as a quarterback. The more head coach Luke Fickell put on Ridder's shoulders, the better he got. For some quarterbacks, that can make them crumble under the weight of more and more pressure, but Ridder thrived under it, as he led Cincinnati to an undefeated season and a trip to the College Football Playoff, the first non-power conference team to do so. During that season, though his rushing numbers dropped from the season before, Ridder showed vast improvements as a passer, throwing for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns, both career highs, while also attempting 387 passes, by far the most in his career, while also completing a career high 251 passes, the only season where he completed over 200 passes. Again, according to reports, Ridder has aced the offseason so far, and is becoming more and more likely to end up in the first round of the draft, maybe even sooner than this pick, given how people are talking about him. Ridder is a very smart, competitive, and athletic quarterback that has shown he can take on a lot of responsibility. His experience and winning mentality in college has won a lot of teams over, and though the Steelers couldn't get their hands on Willis, Ridder is a very nice consolation prize.
21. New England Patriots - Zion Johnson, iOL, Boston College
The New England Patriots could go a few directions with their first round pick, as they have a decent amount of needs on their roster. This offseason, they went out and traded for former Dolphin wide out DeVante Parker. Though he'll fill one of the biggest holes on the Pats roster and give Mac Jones a true number one option, the simple fact of the matter is that he's only played 16 games once throughout his seven year career up to this point, making 24 appearances out of a possible 33 games over the past two seasons while only 'starting' 19 of those. If he can stay healthy, Parker will be an excellent weapon for the receiver needy Pats, but if the Patriots have reservations about that, I wouldn't be surprised if they moved for one of the top receivers in this class. A couple other needs lie on the defensive side of the ball, in the form of linebacker and corner. Starting with the latter, the Patriots pissed off star corner JC Jackson, seeing him leave for Los Angeles on a massive ass deal, leaving a pretty big hole in the Patriots secondary. For the other position, linebacker, the Patriots longtime linebacker Donta Hightower is still a free agent, and though they traded for Mack Wilson, linebacker should still be an option. That all being said, with Utah's Devin Lloyd and the top three corners off the board, I think the Patriots may look somewhere else. One position that I don't think has been talked about enough for the Pats is along the offensive line. This offseason, the Patriots traded one of their starting guards, Shaq Mason, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth round pick, leaving a gap along the offensive line. With Mason gone, I could easily see Belichick moving in for a young guard to replace him. With all the top options still on the board, I think the Patriots should stick in the Boston area, and take Boston College's Zion Johnson here with the 21st pick. Out of everyone that was present at the Senior Bowl, I don't know if there was anyone who had a better week of practice than Zion Johnson. Whether it was at guard or at center, Johnson bullied his opponents into submission, making for some very fun videos surrounding his play on social media. It's not just his Senior Bowl week that I like about him though, Johnson is a friggin battler. A former zero star recruit, Johnson first started his college career at FCS non-scholarship school Davidson. There, he developed into one of the best run blockers in the country as apart of Davidson's triple option attack, playing both guard and tackle throughout his time there. After impressing for two seasons at Davidson, Johnson transferred to Boston College, where he kept up the same dominance in the run game as a key member of the Eagles run first mentality. From being a zero star recruit to a First Team All-American at the FBS level is something to be very proud of. At 6'3" 316 lbs., Johnson possesses great athleticism/high motor and technique to become a very good guard at the next level. With the Patriots love of running the football evident, adding Johnson would help open even more gaps for their platoon moving forward, given his run blocking expertise. Johnson would help open up runs lanes for the Patriots while also keeping Mac Jones upright. Johnson is a very easy player to root for in this draft, and I hope he balls out at the next level, even if it's in New England.
22. Green Bay Packers (via Las Vegas) - Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
The Green Bay Packers are in a very interesting situation going into this draft. After all the questions surrounding the reigning two time MVP, Aaron Rodgers, the Packers made the move and signed him to a three-year $150.8 million contract, making him the highest paid player in North American sports history on an annual basis, surpassing the NBA's Damian Lillard's $49 million, per annum contract. Now, on one hand, this is a nice move, as the Packers locked in their super star quarterback for the foreseeable future, but on the other hand, it caused the Packers to lose some key pieces this offseason, namely outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith, who signed with the rival Vikings, wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who signed with the Chiefs, and, most importantly, wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting him with his college quarterback, Derek Carr. The crazy part about the Davante Adams situation was that they did attempt to franchise tag him, but after he refused, they were left with no other option, really, but to trade him. This all happened after Rodgers' signed his new deal, and I think his silence in regards to the whole situation speaks volumes. So to me, in order to appease the reigning MVP, in some capacity, the Packers have to break tradition and actually draft a wide receiver in the first round. As we've said in previous mock drafts, the Packers last drafted a receiver in the first round back in 2002, drafting Javon Walker 20th overall. So, with this pick, I think the Packers should look to Ohio State touchdown machine Chris Olave, here at pick 22. Dude is one of the best deep threats in the draft, and though I wouldn't put him on the same level as Jameson Williams in regards to being a deep threat (though he's not far off), I do think Olave is a very special player outside who just always finds the end zone. Throughout his career, Olave totaled a pretty astonishing 35 touchdowns, which is 12 more than his Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson and 10 more than Penn State wide out Jahan Dotson, with no other receiver in the first round posting over 20 touchdowns throughout their college careers. This past season with the Buckeyes, though his numbers may not blow you away, as apart of their three headed monster out wide, Olave posted 936 yards on 65 catches this season with 13 touchdowns, which is good for fifth in the nation and second among first round wide receivers in this class. Like I said before, Olave is a great deep threat with a nose for the end zone, and with Rodgers having one of the best arms in the game, this could be a match made in heaven. Drafting Olave would give the Packers some much needed speed on the outside and would give Rodgers a true number one option in replacing Davante Adams. Packers fans can now rejoice, your team finally drafted a wide receiver in the first round.
23. Arizona Cardinals - Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
The Cardinals season can be broken up into two segments. The first segment saw the Cardinals catch a lot of people off guard, starting the season off 7-0 while beating the Titans, Rams, and Browns by double digits, all on the road. Even after the 7-0 start the Cardinals continued playing well, becoming the first team to reach 10 wins this season while not losing a single game on the road during that span. Then, everything kind of changed. After becoming the first team to win 10 games, the Cardinals proceeded to lose four of their last five games, including an embarrassing double digit loss to the Detroit Lions and a loss to a Colts team that had four of their five starters out on their offensive line and didn't have linebacker Darius Leonard. Not to mention they lost a division deciding game to the Seattle Seahawks during week 18. After that horrific end to the season, they Cardinals got ass blasted by the LA Rams 34-11. Basically, the Cardinals were this years version of the '20 Pittsburgh Steelers, starting strong and then plummeting back down to earth. With that being said, the Cardinals have a few glaring needs on their roster, most notably in the secondary and across the d-line and o-line. That being said, one need that I don't think gets talked about enough is their need for weapons on the outside. Yes, the do still have DeAndre Hopkins, who, on his day, is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Outside of Hopkins though, who battled injures all last season, the Cardinals receiving core isn't anything spectacular. For starters, they just lost slot receiver Christian Kirk to the Jaguars, which, for that kind of money, I would've let him go too. Second, AJ Green is also a free agent and turns 34 in July, so I think it may be smart for the Cardinals to get Kyler another weapon on the outside, especially now, given how pissed off Murray seemed this offseason, may want to calm that down and get him another toy. With Hopkins on one side and second year receiver Rondale Moore in the slot, adding someone like Treylon Burks would be very fun to watch down in the desert. Again, out of every receiver in this draft, I don't think a single one can match Burks' combination a size, speed, and power from the position (though he didn't necessarily wow at the combine). At 6'3" 225 lbs., Burks totaled 1,104 yards with 11 touchdowns on 66 receptions, averaging 16.7 yards per reception, while also totaling 112 yards on the ground with one touchdown to boot. Pretty much, Burks was Arkansas' entire offense, doing a little bit of everything while clearly (and smarty) being quarterback KJ Jefferson's favorite receiver. Another thing that I think would work with Burks in Arizona is his abilities as a run blocker. With Arkansas being a predominantly run first team, Burks has had to use his size and strength to straight up bully corners and safeties, which could work perfectly with how often Kyler Murray likes to run on the outside. Burks would not only open up the passing game, but give the Cardinals stud blocker in the run game as well. Burks can outmuscle, out jump, and nearly out run every single defensive back in college, could that change it the pros? Probably, but if Burks keeps getting better and keeps refining his craft, the Cardinals may have one of the best up and coming wide outs in the league.
24. Dallas Cowboys - Kenyon Green, iOL/OT, Texas A&M
When the Cowboys were the most dominant team in the early to mid '90s, winning three Super Bowls over the span of four years, what was one thing everyone knew them for? Yes, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, the triplets as they were called, were the stars of the show, but the offensive line is what really made the Cowboys go. Players like Nate Newton, Nate Stepnoski, Mark Tuinei, Erik Williams, and the great Larry Allen were the men that kept the Cowboys moving. That tradition of a dominant offensive line even carried into the 2010s, with the Cowboys using premium picks on the likes of Tyler Frederick, Zack Martin, and Tyron Smith, all, at one point, the best in their respective positions. Now, they're getting older, with Frederick already retiring and Martin and Smith rarely able to stay healthy. If the Cowboys truly want to get back to the promise land, they've got to re-strengthen their offensive line, especially now given that both La'el Collins and Conor Williams left for Cincinnati and Miami in free agency this offseason, respectfully. I'm not saying they were the best, but they do have two pretty big holes to now fill along the offensive line. So, in order to try and fill at least one of those holes, I think the Cowboys should look to add one of the top interior lineman in this draft here at 24. With all the top ones still available, the Cowboys have their pick of the litter. That being said, I don't think they'll do too much looking, as they'll just travel a few hours south to College Station and take Texas A&M guard/tackle hybrid Kenyon Green. During his time at A&M, Green started 13 games at right guard during his freshman season and then moved to left guard during his sophomore season, where he started nine games while also being named to the All-SEC Second Team and named a Consensus All-American. Then during his junior season, though he started off at left tackle, Green played in every single position across the o-line (apart from center). In all, Green logged snaps at four positions. He totaled 241 snaps at left guard, 142 at right tackle, 106 at right guard, and 81 at left tackle, per The Athletic, not to mention he was also named First Team All-SEC and named a First Team All-American. That's pretty damn impressive if you ask me. With the Cowboys having one of the best one-two punches at running back in the league in the form of Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard, Green would be excellent at opening up more rush lanes for the pair, as he led the way for two 1,000+ yard rushing seasons for running back Isaiah Spiller (would've been three, but came up 64 yards short his freshman season). I think Green would be an excellent addition to the Cowboys, as he'd be able to fill in at either guard or tackle, which are the two positions that'll need addressed with Collins and Williams leaving in free agency. Again, if the Cowboys want to get back to the top, they've got to restrengthen their offensive line, adding someone with the versatility of Kenyon Green would be a very good place to start.
25. Buffalo Bills - Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
Going into the offseason, though they lost a heart breaker in overtime against Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round, the Buffalo Bills are the early favorites to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy come next season, which is a really weird feeling for me. So far this offseason the Bills have made some very nice moves in regards to strengthening their roster. They added Pro Bowl guard and former Tennessee Titan Rodger Saffold on a one-year deal and brought back guard Ryan Bates, who almost signed with the Bears, to re-strengthen the offensive line. They brought in Jameson Crowder to replace the aging Cole Beasley in the slot, they signed former Dolphin Duke Johnson, replacing the originally signed JD McKissic, who went back to Washington after signing with Buffalo, and then, on the same day, they brought in former first round pick OJ Howard, to tag team at tight end with Dawson Knox, and two time Super Bowl champ, one time Super Bowl MVP, and one of the greatest edge rushers of all time, Von Miller on a six-year deal. The Bills made their intentions clear, it's Super Bowl or bust for the team out of western New York. When you look at the Bills roster as a whole there's not a whole lot of needs as they've filled most of them through free agency. To me though, there are two key areas of concern for this team going into the season, those areas are at running back, as the Bills haven't had a 1,000 yard rusher since 2017, and at corner, given Tre'Davious White's ACL injury and the Bills losing Levi Wallace in free agency to Pittsburgh. During the Bills last two playoff runs, one thing that has hurt them was not having a ton of depth at the corner back position, and that was exposed, at times, after White got hurt. Though Dane Jackson played well as the teams number two corner, I don't know if the team fully trusts him to be the main guy opposite of White. So, though I really want to go with running back Breece Hall, I'm going to go with a corner and select Andrew Booth out of Clemson. If you follow any Bills fans or pages on Twitter, you would know Booth is currently the fan favorite to go here at 25. At 6'0" 200 lbs., Booth has the ideal size for today's corners in the NFL. A solid tackling corner who is a great athlete, Booth came in the same recruiting class as ninth overall pick Derek Stingley. Booth locks up opposing teams number one receivers and, when he rarely gets beat, has the speed to catch up and make plays on the ball. In Clemson's last game of the regular season, Booth registered two picks against South Carolina, giving him three for the season and three in his final two games, registering one against Wake Forest. Booth is a shut down corner by every sense of the phrase and would be an instant upgrade for the Bills secondary. Booth is an extremely talented corner who would make an already elite secondary that much more elite. Once Tre White comes back from injury, the Bills would be one of the best corner pairings in the entire league. They already have the best safety tandem, it would be a pretty cool to replicate that at the corner position. The Bills could definitely use someone as smooth and talented in their secondary. Again, though I'd love for the Bills to take Breece Hall, I would not complain if Booth was the pick here at 25.
26. Tennessee Titans - Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
Like the Arizona Cardinals before, the Tennessee Titans were one of the weirder teams this past season. Though they finished the regular season with a 12-5 record and the number one overall seed in the AFC, they battled a crap ton of injuries and lost games to some very interesting teams. This season, the Titans lost to the New York Jets and the Houston Texans, two teams with who are picking top four in the draft, while also getting ass blasted by the Cardinals in week one and the Patriots later in the season. They also had close encounters with the Seahawks, Colts, Saints, and the aforementioned Texans during the last week of the regular season. Now, like we said before, some of those losses could be traced back to their injury history this season, as they were without Derrick Henry, AJ Brown, Julio Jones, and pretty much their entire secondary for most of the season. Aside from injuries, the Titans do have some other problem areas as well, mainly out wide and on the offensive line. Now, if they can stay healthy, and that's a big if, I think AJ Brown and the recently acquired Robert Woods, who's coming off his own injury, are good enough to carry the receiving core, so maybe they could look for someone like Trey McBride from Colorado State to fill that Jonnu Smith sized hole at the tight end position. If not, the Titans should look to restrengthen their interior offensive line or linebacking core. That being said, with both of the top guard options already off the board to New England and Dallas respectively, I think head coach Mike Vrabel would love to retool their defense. Given how up and down their pass defense was last year, adding a linebacker that was key in pass coverage in college could be key. If they're looking for a linebacker like that, who is also probably the best leader in the draft, the Titans should look to add someone like Georgia's Nakobe Dean. Though he may not be as big or as athletically gifted as Utah's Devin Lloyd, but Dean was the quarterback of one of the greatest defenses in college football history. This season, Georgia gave up just 253.9 yards per game (4 yards per play) while being really stout in the run game, giving up just 81.7 yards per game and giving up just 9.5 points per game. For a Titans team who's secondary has been riddled with injuries, Dean would help take some of the pressure off. Even after Bryce Young put on a show in the SEC Championship game, opposing quarterbacks still only managed to post a 117.3 QBR, which was the worst in college football. That loss aside, Georgia's defense was special. Why were they so dominant? One reason is because of Dean's leadership. His leadership really makes him stand out, not just with the other linebackers, but with almost everyone in the draft. This season, Dean post 61 total tackles with five sacks, one forced fumbles, five passes defended, and two interceptions, one of them being returned for a touchdown. Again, Dean may not be the athlete Lloyd is, but Dean works his ass off. Leading vocally and by example, he'll make a play wherever he is needed and will rarely miss a tackle. Next to Zach Cunningham, the Titans could have one of the best linebacking cores in the league, at least when it comes to tackling, as Cunningham led the league in tackles in 2020 and ranked inside the top 10 in 2019, totaling 306 tackles in two seasons. Dean is an absolute dawg, and would be perfect at the heart of the Titans defense next to Cunningham, possibly giving Vrabel his very own version of Roquan Smith.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Devonte Wyatt, DL, Georgia
As we stated in the last mock draft, Tom Brady is back, and Bruce Arians is gone, in regards to coaching terms anyways. So, with Arians out of the picture, it is former Jets coach Todd Bowles chance to shine in his second stint as an NFL head coach, signing a new five-year contract with the team to take over for Arians. Now, though we're going to get a new philosophy with Bowles in as head coach, as he's a defensive minded guy, as opposed to Arians offensive approach, I don't think a whole lot will change in regards to expectations for the team. With the NFC South easily being the worst division in football, the Bucs should have no real issues retaining their 2021 title. And with the NFC, as a whole, becoming a little weaker, with Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack, among others, moving to the AFC, the Bucs are essentially in a two to three horse race for the top of the mountain in the NFC. That being said, though the Bucs should still be at the top of the NFC, there are some holes on their roster, most notably along the offensive line (mainly guard) and the defensive line. Starting with the offensive line, though the Bucs did manage to trade for former Patriot guard Shaq Mason, that only fills in one of the guard spots, as Ali Marpet retried after just six seasons in the NFL. But, with the top two guards already off the board, with Johnson going to New England and Green going to Dallas, attention should be turned to the defensive line. As of right now, the Bucs only have three linemen that have logged significant minutes in the NFL. They also may be without Ndamukong Suh, as he is a free agent and just turned 35-years old in January. With the Bucs real lack of depth on the d-line, and a defensive minded coaching taking over, I think that's the direction the Bucs will go with this pick. Someone who's been building up a lot of steam recently is former Georgia Bulldog, Devonte Wyatt. At 6'3" 315 lbs., Wyatt is an extremely explosive lineman who moves very well for being as big as he is, rarely getting beaten off the ball by anyone, whether that's his own teammates or the opposing offensive line. Though his individual numbers won't necessarily stand out to you, totaling 39 tackles, two and half sacks in 2021, and two forced fumbles, it's his work athleticism that sees him developing into a nice interior pass rusher at the next level. Like we have already said with Travon Walker, Wyatt was apart of one of the greatest defenses in college football history, ranking in the top three for total defense, pass defense, run defense, and points allowed per game. Georgia's defense also allowed just three touchdowns on the ground as opposed to 12 forced fumbles, posting one of the best ratios in the country. Now, I wouldn't be too surprised if Wyatt went way before this pick, as he is one of the players who tore up the NFL combine, running a 4.77 40, which was the fastest out of the d-tackles. Wyatt's athletic ability would make him too hard to pass up for a team that needs some help along the defensive line. Wyatt would be able to slot right in as a d-end in the Bucs 3-4 front, and be perfect compliment to the aging Ndamukong Suh. Though he only generated five sacks in his Georgia career, his athletic ability would instantly help the Bucs improve at getting after the quarterback as well. If the Bucs somehow landed Devonte Wyatt, the would be the picture perfect start to the Todd Bowles era in Tampa. (there are some reported character concerns that could see Wyatt drop a little bit)
28. Green Bay Packers - Travis Jones, DL, Connecticut
The Green Bay Packers should have one thing on their mind coming into this draft, not pissing off Aaron Rodgers. Look, I know Rodgers is somewhat of an acquired taste these days, but the fact of the matter is that he's the reigning two time MVP, who went from wanting out of Green Bay as soon as possible to signing a new three-year contract with the team. Now, I don't know if he was privy to the situation regarding Davante Adams before hand, but I can imagine, regardless, he wasn't too happy with his partner in crime getting traded to Las Vegas, after refusing the franchise tag. With Adams gone, like we said with the Olave pick, the Packers are finally going to have to use a first round pick on a wide receiver, if not for anything but to appease Aaron Rodgers. Now, do I think they could double down on wide receivers in the first round? Not likely, but it is possible, I guess. Like, the Packers go however many years without drafting a wide receiver in the first round and then take two in the same draft? Again, I guess it could happen, but I don't think it's very likely. So, instead of drafting someone like Jahan Dotson or Christian Watson with this pick, I think I'm going to address the defensive side of the things for the Packers. Hopefully Rodgers understands, as the Packers currently only have five d-lineman on the active roster, with their being a hole left by the departing Tyler Lancaster. So, in order to fill said hole, while also adding some overall depth to the d-line as a whole, I think the Packers could look for someone like UConn's Travis Jones here with their second first round pick. Though Jones has played for one of the worst teams in all of college football, with UConn going 4-32 during his time there, Jones really stood out. At 6'4" 325 lbs., Jones is, unsurprisingly, very powerful. Much like Georgia's Jordan Davis, Jones' size and strength allow him to absorb multiple blockers, allowing his teammates more lanes to get after the quarterback. When he's not getting double teamed by the opposing offensive line, Jones blows up every one of his one-on-one match-ups, making him lethal in the run game. Even after blowing up his assignment, if he doesn't get to the running back, his ability to break through the line causes the running backs to try and bounce outside, allowing for more plays for his teammates. A former three star guard in high school, Jones has had an extremely good offseason in regards to workouts, running a pretty impressive 4.92 in the 40, which ranked fourth out of d-tackles, while also ranking near the top in both the vertical test and broad jump. Again, the Packers could use some more depth along the d-line, and given time, Jones could become on of the best interior presence in the NFL. Again, like the aforementioned Jordan Davis, three words I would use to describe Jones is strength, strength, and strength. His impressive showing at the combine has caused his draft stock to rise, making it seem as if he's going to go in the first round. If the Packers left the first round with Chris Olave and Travis Jones, I think all of cheese head nation should be celebrating, cause that's a pretty nice haul if I do say so myself.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (via Miami) - George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
I'm going to say something pretty crazy here, so I hope you're ready for it. The Kansas City Chiefs are still a very good team, even after trading the cheetah, Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. Yes, I know, in this economy? I just think people are starting to underrate the Chiefs a little bit, and most of that isn't even because of stuff they're doing, but rather what their division, and the AFC in general is doing. Like, in the AFC West alone, we have seen Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Chandler Jones, Khalil Mack, and JC Jackson all come into the division. Who have the Chiefs signed in retaliation to all these moves? JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Ok, I'll admit, they're not necessarily the signings that'll move the needle in Kansas City but c'mon, this is a team that has hosted the AFC Championship game four straight years, and I've seen recent power ranking having them as low as 12th, which is kind weird to me. The Chiefs are already going to be pissed off coming into the season given how the last one ended, I don't want people to give them any more. As long as they have Patrick Mahomes at the helm, they'll be in contention for the Super Bowl, regardless of how everyone else is around them. Now, I'm not saying the Chiefs aren't without their holes, especially on the defensive side of things, but let's not get crazy here. Two areas of concern for me are edge rusher and the safety position. Starting with the latter, both starting safeties from a season ago, Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorenson, are either still free agents or signed with another team, as Sorenson has signed with the Saints this offseason. Though the loss of Sorenson doesn't really matter, losing Mathieu could be big for the Chiefs. Now, the team did go out and pick up former Texan Justin Reid, which fills one spot in the secondary, but there's still that opening on the other side. With Reid more than likely going to line up as the teams new free safety, the Chiefs should be looking for a strong safety with this pick and to me, it's a little too early to look at someone like Lewis Cine or Jaquan Brisker. So, instead of safety, I'm going to look to sure up the defensive line. Before the season started last year, the Chiefs tried to kick All Pro d-tackle Chris Jones out to d-end, which unsurprisingly, didn't really work, as he's not a d-end. But after the team traded for Melvin Ingram from Pittsburgh, the defense started turning a new leaf. With the Chiefs in a division with decently mobile quarterbacks, I think it'd be smart to try and replace Ingram with one of their first round picks, as again, he was pretty instrumental in the Chiefs defensive turnaround midway through the season. To me, out of all the healthy edge rushers available, none are better than Purdue's George Karlaftis. Now, this could be seen as somewhat of a surprise, as Karlaftis is widely considered to be one of the top edge rushers in this class, with him most likely expecting to go somewhere in the teens, not fall all the way to 29. Though Karlaftis is arguably the most powerful edge rusher in this class, he doesn't have the same athletic ceiling as the other top edge rushers in this class, which could see him slide a little more than what was originally expected. Another thing that could possibly hurt him is that he doesn't have the same output as players like Hutchinson, Thibodeuax, or Johnson. Though he may not have the numbers, Karlaftis has the size (6'4" 275 lbs.) and the ability to get after the quarterback or stop the run from either the inside or the outside. This season, Karlaftis has only registered four and a half sacks, but does have two forced fumbles and two passes defended to his name this year as well. With Purdue not having a lot of other "threats" to deal with on the defensive side of things, Karlaftis gets double teamed almost every single time he goes after the quarterback, yet still has registered some nice pressure numbers, coming in at 13.7%, per ESPN. Karlaftis would be perfect for the Chiefs 4-3 defense, with his size and power causing real problems for opposing offensive linemen, again, whether that's outside as a d-end or even inside as a d-tackle. If the Chiefs want to keep improving their defense, they've got to retool their defensive line and pass rush. Last season the Chiefs ranked fourth from the bottom in total sacks last season, with just 31. Adding someone like Karlaftis would instantly help improve their pass rush, keeping them right near the top of the AFC.
30. Kansas City Chiefs - Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
In one of the strangest moves in recent league history, the Kansas City Chiefs traded star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, for a shite ton of picks, including the pick before, pick 29. Like seriously, it felt like it was reported the Chiefs were going to allow Hill to seek a trade after being unable to restructure his contract and then bam! He's traded to Miami. I think the whole thing took like five minutes or something, at least that's what it felt like. Now, even though the Chiefs brought in former Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster and former Packer Marquez Valdes-Scantling, they should still look to add a wide receiver with one of their first round picks. Especially since, even with Hill, the Chiefs wide receiver core really wasn't anything that special. Outside of Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, the options weren't that great. Nothing against Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling, but they themselves are not enough to fill the hole left by Tyreek Hill, which is why I think the Chiefs should go after someone like North Dakota State's Christian Watson here at pick 30. Now, this may come as a surprise to some, as many people out there, including myself, believe Penn State's Jahan Dotson is a better wide receiver, right now, then Watson. But look at what I said, I think Dotson is better right now. I think, out of all the receivers in the draft, Watson, arguably, has one of the highest ceilings. At 6'4" 208 lbs., Watson ran a pretty astonishing 4.36 40 with a 38.5" vertical and a 11'4" broad jump, which was the best measured attempt out of any wide receiver in the draft. Now, myself and other draft "experts" could be freaking out a little too much, right? I mean, Watson never even had a season where he posted more than 800 yards receiving. The thing is, Watson is coming from North Dakota State, the most physically impassive run oriented team in all the FCS, essentially meaning, they don't normally pass the ball all too much. I think that may be another thing that also helps Watson's case, as he has plenty of experience as a run blocker, given North Dakota State's style, something that I think truly helped the Ravens first first round pick from last year, Rashod Bateman, slide into the first round. I think, with Tyreek Hill gone, the Chiefs have to go after a receiver in the first round, unless they trade for DK Metcalf or something, than these picks will belong to Seattle. I think if Watson develops right, he could be an insane deep threat at the next level. His natural size and speed will make him a match-up nightmare and could the the perfect "Robin" to Travis Kelce's "Batman" on the Chiefs offense. Given time, Watson could be a real problem at the next level.
31. Cincinnati Bengals - Tyler Linderbaum, iOL, Iowa
Unlike last offseason, the Bengals have made massive strides in improving their offensive line. After making it to the Super Bowl, the main goal of this team was clear, protect Joe Burrow, who has the distinguished honor of becoming the first quarterback to lead the league in sacks to make it to a Super Bowl. So far this offseason the Bengals have signed Super Bowl champ Alex Cappa, a guard/center hybrid from New England in Ted Karras, and a guard/tackle hybrid from Dallas in La'el Collins, who, if he can stay healthy, will be a force at right tackle for Cincinnati. Again, Joe Burrow was sacked 51 times in the regular season and 19 times in the postseason, with nine of those postseason sacks coming against the Tennessee Titans, and seven of them coming in the Super Bowl against the Rams. I know the moves the Bengals made so far have vastly improved their line, but if they have the opportunity to add to that in the draft, they better do it, as it's not often one of the greatest center prospects of all time falls right into your lap with the second to last pick in the first round. If this draft plays out like it has, the Bengals better sprint their card to the podium to select former Iowa center, Tyler Linderbaum, here at pick 31. Now, there's no questioning Linderbaum's quality, the problem is that he is a center, a position that usually goes later in the draft as it's not seen as a "glamorous" position. Technically speaking, the last center drafted in the top 10 was the Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews back in 1983, but even then Matthews played all across the line, so one may not classify him as just a center. Since 2000, the earliest pick used on a center was pick 18, which was used on Garrett Bradbury (2019), Ryan Kelly (2016), and Maurkice Pouncey (2010), so the likely hood of him going very high in the draft is small, especially given how some teams are reportedly concerned with Linderbaum's arm length. Now, all that being said, whatever you need Linderbaum to do, he'll do it and dominate in doing it. A former d-tackle, Linderbaum flashes his athleticism while pulling when run blocking, where he opposes his will on the opposing team. With the Bengals having one of the more balanced offenses in the league, in regards to running and passing the ball, they would only be getting better by adding someone like Linderbaum. Not only does he dominate in the run game, but he is a more than capable pass blocker. Since becoming Iowa's starter, he has allowed just three sacks. Combined, in 2019 and 2020, Linderbaum allowed just one sack and has allowed two during the 2021 season, which should make Joe Burrow very happy. Again, though I'd assume most Iowa fans would be surprised to see Linderbaum go this late, there are some out there saying he's a little "undersized" for the position. That mixed with the fact that he's a center could cause him to go a little later than expected. That being said, that shouldn't matter, cause Linderbaum is a special talent at the center position and if he does in fact fall this far, the Bengals would be getting an absolute steal.
32. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles) - Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
The final pick in the first round, and the final team with multiple first round draft picks. Now, I could be wrong here, but this has to be a record, there are five teams, currently, in the first round that have multiple first round draft picks. I could look that up, but it doesn't really matter to me, but it has to be a record, or at least close to it, right? Well, with the Lions, they were the first team that picked out of the five teams with multiple first round picks, and now they are the last, with Detroit somehow managing to get Aidan Hutchinson with their first pick. Now, with their second pick, the Lions could go a few different directions. Starting with the obvious one, quarterback. There is a whole lot of smoke surrounding the Lions and Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, and rightfully so. Like we said before, if you've listened to the Logan Blackman Show long enough, you know how I feel about Malik Willis. Though he can be a little out of control at times, his potential is through the roof, with his athleticism and arm strength topping every other quarterback in this draft. Though I think there's a solid chance he does in fact go second overall, the emergence of Hutchinson at number two changes the Lions draft strategy, just a little bit, as I feel those are the top two guys on their board. For here though, I think another quarterback they coached in the Senior Bowl, Sam Howell, and Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral are the top two options here, but I still think they'll go somewhere else. The second option for the Lions is at wide receiver. Last offseason the Lions lost Kenny Golladay to the Giants and Marvin Jones to the Jaguars, not really replacing either of them, at face value. To me, Amon-Ra St. Brown was one of the steals of the draft, getting taken with the 112th pick. St. Brown had a very nice season last time out, leading the Lions in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. To partner him, the Lions went out and signed DJ Chark from Jacksonville, who, when healthy, is a very nice receiver in the NFL. So, though they could go after a quarterback or receiver here, I think they'll stick on the defensive side of things with this pick. Since they got one stud from the state of Michigan already, why not dip your hand back into the proverbial Michigan cookie jar and take safety/corner hybrid Daxton Hill here with the last pick in the first round? Now, this is kind of odd to be honest, it's not too often nowadays where one safety is drafted in the first round, let alone two of them, but that's the reality we live in right now. I know we've said Kyle Hamilton is clear compared to the other safeties in this draft, but if we're talking about pure cover safeties, Daxton Hill stands out above the rest. As a natural center fielder, who can also flash covering in the slot, Hill possesses great size, length, and athleticism for the safety spot. With great combination of burst and natural speed, at 6'0" 192 lbs., Hill is able to over a vast array of ground in a very short amount of time, with not a lot of receivers able to break away from Hill's coverage circle. While at Michigan, Hill totaled 150 tackles (92 solo), 15 passes defended, and four interceptions over a three year career. This past season, the Chiefs ranked in the bottom six in pass defense, giving up 251.4 yards per game. Adding someone like Hill would certainly improve the Lions pass defense and would provide an upgrade at free safety. Wherever you play Daxton Hill, he's going to make plays. For a Lions team that ranked in the bottom half in passing defense last season, adding Hill would be an excellent step in improving their defense. If the Lions somehow could come away with two Michigan guys, I would imagine they'd be very happy.
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